Colander for defecated cane-juice



R, RODRiGUEZ Y RODRIGUEZ. COLANDER FOR DEFECATED CANE JUICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I, 1919- Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

UNITED STATES RAMON RODRIGUEZ Y RODRIGUEZ, OF CENTRAL MERCEDES, MERCEDES, CUBA.

GOLANDER FOR DEFECATED CANE-JUICE.

Application filed February 1, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAMON RODRIGUEZ Y Roe-incurs, a Cuban citizen, reslding at Central Mercedes, Mercedes, Cuba, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Colander-s for Defecated Cane-J u1ce; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in colanders for defecated cane juice.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device in which the separation of the valu able cane juice from bagasse and other par ticles and impurities contained in suspension within the juice is effected automatically.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device in which the mixture of cane juice and impurities is conveyed from a collective receptacle to a tank, and whereby in this conveyance the separation of the juice from the impurities and the deposition of the impurities in a separate receptacle is effected.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a device of this character with means for cleaning the conveyer at intervals or continuously during the operation of the colander.

Another object of the invention is to provide a colander with protecting means to prevent the-spreading or overflow of the cane juice beyond the conveying means.

The invention consists in the distinctive characters, combination of parts and details of constructions, which are fully described and illustrated in the drawings which form part of the specification.

Referring to the said illustrat1ons:

Figure 1, is an upper view of the colander.

Fig. 2, is a lateral view, partly in sectlon.

Fig. 3, is a sectional view on line AB of Fig. 1.

The cane juice coming from the m11ls or boilers flows into the collective receptacle 1, from which parallel pipes 2 extend, preferably at right angles thereto. The outer ends of these pipes are closed by caps 3, and each of the pipes 2 is provided at its bottom with a longitudinal slot 4 extending preferably over the entire length of the pipe. The combined area of the pipes 2 is about equal to the area of the large pipe 1, from which said individual pipes 2 extend. This Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1920.

Serial No. 274,581.

system of pipes can be supported in some suitable way, as, for instance, indicated in Fig. 2 by a plurality of standards fastened to the common pipe 1 and to the outer ends of the pipes 2, and projecting from the tank structure 18 over which the system of pipes is disposed.

The cane juice mixed with the impurities and discharged from the slots 4 of the individual pipes 2 flows upon a foraminous fabric, preferably made of metal, as indicated at 5, and which fabric serves as a conveyer for the juice and is provided for this purpose at its opposite longitudinal edges with metal strips 6, which are per forated, as shown at 7. The strips 6 not only serve for reinforcing the metal fabric but also for effecting the travel of this endless fabric by means of sprocket pins which enter the holes 7 of the strips. The endless fabric is trained over the rollers 8 and 9, mounted in bearings 10 and 11 respectively, on opposite longitudinal ends of the tank structure 18, the rotary movement being imparted to the roller 9 by a worm 13 which is driven by a pulley 14, and which meshes with a suitable worm gear at the end of the, shaft of the roller 9. The sprocket pins 12 are mounted on these rollers 8 and 9 so as to engage successively the holes 7 of the strips 6, whereby.

not only longitudinal movement is imparted to the conveyer fabric 5 but whereby also a rotary movement is transmitted to the idle drum or roller 8 at the opposite end of the tank.

From Figs. 2 and 8 it will be seen that the brushes 15 are mounted adjacent to and parallel with the two outer pipes 2 of the system and on the outer surface of the same. These brushes in engagement with the upper surface of the metallic fabric prevent the spattering or spreading of the juice beyond the width of the conveyer. The lower portion of this endless conveyer is trained over a roller 16 of relatively small diameter extending transversely of the tank structure and mounted thereon by means of the bearings 17, while an additional idle roller 21, closer to the drum 8 of the conveyer, also serves for supporting the lower portion of the conveyer and for preventing an excessive sag of the same. In a similar way rollers 23 are mounted adjacent the ends of the individual pipes 2 on shafts 24 which are supported in bearings 25 projecting upwardly from the tank structure, these idle rollers 23 also serving for preventing excessive sag of the conveyer. A steam pipe 19 is supported above the tank structure between the rollers 9 and 16 and extending parallel to the same, said pipe being in close proximity to the path of the conveyer and being provided with a valve 20 to permit the passage of the steam into that perforated portion of the pipe which bridges the upper area of the tank.

In the operation of the device the cane juice, mixed with bagasse and other impurities, enters the common pipe 1 and flows from this pipe into the individual pipes 2 from which it is discharged through the slots 4-. The juice with the impurities contained therein. flows by gravity on the foraminous fabric 5 and will drip immediately through the mesh of this fabric into the tank 18, which is divided by a wall 26 into two compartments 27 and 28. The compartment 28 being located below the pipes 2 will receive the clear juice. The impurities which cannot pass through the mesh of the fabric will be carried by the same and will be discharged through gravity into the compartment 27. Without interrupting the operation of the device the remaining impurities adherin to the mesh may be forcibly discharged by opening the valve 20 and blowing steam through the pipe 19 and through the meshes of the fabric whereby the impurities adhering to the fabric are ejected into the compartment 27.

I claim: I

In a device of the character described, the combination of a plurality of parallel pipes provided with longitudinal slots at their bottom surface, a common supply conduit for said pipes, an endless foraminous conveyer disposed below said pipes and adapted to receive said discharge, and a pair. of brushes mounted adjacent the outer sides of the two outmost pipes, said brushes being adapted to prevent the overflow of discharge material over the sides of the conveyer, means for driving the conveyor, and a tank below said conveyer to receive the material passing through the same.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

' I RAMON RODRIGUEZ y RODRiGUEZ. Witnesses: I

CLAUDIo MIRANDA, A, P. LAWRENCE. 

